BlackBerry Marketing: Should They Follow T-Mobile’s Lead?

While having conversations with various other members of #TeamBlackBerry something that always comes up is that BlackBerry has always been lacking in the marketing department. The general consensus has always been that the Canadian company could stand to be a little more aggressive in their techniques. 4th place US mobile provider, T-Mobile, has been making headlines lately with what could be called an extremely aggressive form of marketing. What I would like to ask you guys is, should BlackBerry follow their lead?

The most recent news concerning John Legere and his passion for the company he leads is that of him being kicked out of an AT&T after party at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this week. Legere says he was there to see Macklemore perform, and had even secured his invitation through the musician’s agent, however this did not stop him from being escorted from the premises before the performance began.

Legere has pulled quite a few stunts like this in the past. He’s very vocal about how much he believes in T-Mobile’s new Uncarrier plans, and has stated that he is positive that his company will soon destroy the competition. He’s been known to tweet some harsh things, as well as say them in public, especially towards AT&T specifically.

There are two very interesting ways to look at this style of brand loyalty and self promotion. First, he’s confident that what his company is offering and wishes to convey that confidence to the masses. Is it aggressive? Yes. Is it behavior one would expect for the CEO of a major corporation? I’ll leave that to you to decide. Legere strongly believes that his company can be the best, and he’s not hesitant to let everyone know it. It’s a ballsy move that can really be admired.

The second way of viewing his tactics is that of a man with delusions of grandeur. T-Mobile is currently in fourth place in America, and it’s there for a reason. Yes, I will admit that the new plans and deals from T-Mobile are pretty ground breaking, but we’re coming up to four different phases of the Uncarrier plan, and TMO has yet to surpass even Sprint in customers. Legere should be admired for taking on the behemoth that is AT&T, but the argument could be made that he’s biting off more than he can chew.

Is this tactic something that you would like to see John Chen try out? Can you imagine Chen showing up at an Apple event, Z30 in hand, snapping pictures with TimeShift, while wearing BlackBerry logos all over the place? I’d love to get a conversation going, so drop me a comment below and let’s get the ball rolling!

Chris is a nerd of many talents. He's in to a wide variety of areas, such as technology, movies, music, and even a little bit of math. An editor with N4BB since 2012, he is excited to have the opportunity to share a little bit more of his passions on the newly extended site. You can reach Chris through email, or on BBM. Pin 2BDA4452